February 2012
62 posts
3 tags
“It puts the burden not on the citizen, it puts the burden on the government.”
– Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-St. Louis Park) on the advantage of using electronic poll books.
4 tags
A few thoughts on another good budget forecast
Today’s budget forecast was good news: The budget improved by $323 million, triggering a partial payback of our debt to our schools. Here are a few of my immediate, disjointed thoughts on the news:
Don’t call it a surplus. We still owe our schools $2.4 billion. By any objective measure, we can hardly claim to have a surplus.
An improving economy helps the budget, not vice versa. As...
1 tag
Some good economic news in Minnesota
The economy is continuing to improve here in Minnesota. New figures from the Department of Employment and Economic Development indicate that the job market, while still difficult, is rapidly improving:
Statewide, there were 3.2 unemployed people for each vacancy during fourth quarter 2011. A year earlier, there were 5.8 unemployed people for each vacancy. This over-the-year decrease in the...
2 tags
Romney pulls it off
As he has done time and again, Mitt Romney pulled off a victory in a state that pundits declared a “must win” for him, continuing his tortuous drive toward the GOP nomination. As he has every single time a new threat to his candidacy has arisen, Romney emerged victorious, but weakened for the general election.
The Michigan primary will cement voters’ perceptions of two of...
3 tags
Marty: Why are we talking about laying off...
What a striking contrast. While DFLers proposed a bill yesterday to restore funding for our schools, Republicans passed a bill making it easier to lay off teachers with seniority. The contrast was not lost on Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville), who commented that we should be asking why teachers are being laid off, not who should be laid off.
In response to Marty, Gen Olson (R-Minnestrista) seemed...
4 tags
DFLers advance plan to put kids before...
Our priorities have been seriously out of whack in Minnesota lately. In the last session, Republicans fought tooth and nail to protect special low taxes for the richest 2 percent. To balance the budget without asking the rich to pay their fair share, they took $700 million from our schools. And that’s not even the first time that happened within the last few years.
All told, our debt to our...
Government investments in weather radar make...
I’m always on the lookout for good examples of public investments that make our daily lives better, but which we tend to take for granted. Weather radar is a good one. Most of us never think it, but the weather forecasts that we rely on every morning are made possible by Federal investments in a nationwide system of weather radar installations.
Later this year, the Twin Cities region will...
2 tags
“I don’t believe in an America where the separation of church and state is...”
– A horrifying revelation by Rick Santorum.
3 tags
Bonoff: There is GOP support for electronic poll...
Last week, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie proposed an alternative to photo ID that would preserve all Minnesotans’ rights to vote. At a press briefing on Friday, Senator Terri Bonoff said the proposal has already generated interest from some Republicans.
That’s great news, but it remains to be seen whether the architects of the proposed constitutional amendment will show any...
2 tags
Romney fails to draw a crowd in Michigan
Ouch. I sure hope the Romney campaign has dismissed whoever approved this venue. [Byron York, via ThinkProgress]
1 tag
Austerity has held back our economy
The economy seems to finally be turning the corner. A few more months of solid gains, and rising consumer confidence will help boost demand, creating a virtuous circle that will restore solid growth. I can’t help but marvel, though, at how the recovery was held back — and could still be subverted — by government austerity measures.
The chart below (via Jared Bernstein) shows...
2 tags
Great news on equal marriage in Maryland
Yet another victory for equal marriage!
A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland was approved by the state Senate, which advanced a measure that narrowly cleared the House of Delegates last week.
The final vote by the state Senate ended a yearlong drama in Annapolis over the legislation, and marked the first time an East Coast state south of the Mason-Dixon line has supported...
3 tags
Senator Jeff Hayden attempts to repeal the...
Yesterday, Senator Jeff Hayden (DFL-Minneapolis) attempted to remove the anti-marriage amendment from the 2012 ballot. Unsurprisingly, the attempt was voted down on party lines. Watch the video below, courtesy of The UpTake:
3 tags
What a dumb idea
I just don’t know how to describe this proposal by Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa), other than a really dumb idea:
A Republican legislator wants to take state tax money collected by Internet retailers and use it to give Minnesotans a sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and hunting gear….
House Taxes Committee Chairman Greg Davids, R-Preston, is pushing the so-called...
2 tags
Paired incumbents start pondering political future... →
MPR’s Tom Scheck has a great roundup of all the incumbents who have been placed into possible primary matches with each other, and their early indications of whether they will run.
3 tags
Mark Ritchie proposes a voter ID alternative that...
Yesterday, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie unveiled a magic bullet for the voter ID issue. Ritchie presented a technology that would be cheaper than voter ID, less susceptible to fraud, and could be used without disenfranchising voters. Now we’ll see if voter ID proponents are really concerned with ensuring election integrity, as they claim, or if their primary goal is to take away your...
2 tags
Yeah, I'm "sensitive" about taking away the right...
It’s just the constitutional rights of thousands of Minnesotans. Why don’t you lighten up already?
That was the flippant message of Minnesota Majority, delivered with the easy confidence of those who know that their rights aren’t the ones being taken away, so who gives a damn?
Yesterday, the group replaced a race-baiting image on their website with a version mocking complaints...
1 tag
Redistricting data show a rise in minority...
Yesterday, I took issue with the conventional wisdom that the GOP would gain seats from redistricting:
The tricky question, which we can only speculate on until November, is exactly who moved into those districts. If the red districts grew, but filled with DFL voters, it’s a whole other story.
The Census, of course, doesn’t tell us anything about political affiliations. But there are...
1 tag
Congressional redistricting: Court avoids huge...
As I mentioned this morning, Minnesota’s courts typically opt for redistricting plans that keep changes as small as possible while still getting the job done. The 2012 Congressional maps [PDF] are no exception. There are changes — CD3 gets redder and CD2 gets bluer — but the new districts are quite similar to the old.
Minnesota Congressional Districts 2012 and 2002 Comparison
...
3 tags
Mitt Romney must be truly desperate
This seems like just about the worst idea ever:
With just over a week to go before Michigan voters head to the polls, Mitt Romney is enlisting the help of one of his highest-wattage surrogates: Donald Trump.
The real estate mogul is preparing to spread his pro-Romney, anti-Rick Santorum message in a series of radio interviews this week on local stations from Traverse City to Detroit. [ABC News,...
1 tag
Happy redistricting day!
Today’s the day: Redistricting maps will finally be released at 1 pm today.I’ll do my best to have some coverage of the new maps this afternoon.
What can we expect to see from the new maps? That’s hard to say. The two parties — Republicans in particular — proposed some significant changes to the 2000 maps. The courts, on the other hand, have historically sought...
2 tags
MN Majority: Blacks and Hispanics are trying to...
The ultimate goal of a “Voter ID” law has always been a poorly-kept secret. Voter ID laws are all about stopping members of already-disenfranchised communities from voting. For example, these laws have been shown to hurt black voters disproportionately.
Usually, proponents of these vote-suppression laws try not to tip their hands. But occasionally, they slip. Minnesota Majority, the...
“When a man visits his physician to request a prescription, no politician looks...”
– CD3 DFL candidate Sharon Sund [via MN Progressive Project]
2 tags
Like it or not, a Vikings stadium deal is almost...
According to the Star Tribune, negotiators are close to an agreement on a new Vikings stadium:
Minneapolis, the state and the Minnesota Vikings have reached a tentative agreement on a new, $975 million stadium on a site at or near the Metrodome and on how to divide the costs, multiple sources said Friday.
Under the preliminary deal, the city would contribute $150 million in construction costs...
1 tag
Freedom of religion doesn't extend to imposing...
The outrage on the right over the Obama administration’s efforts to provide women with insurance coverage for contraception has been so surreal, I haven’t known how to approach it. I shouldn’t have ignored the story for so long, though, because it’s a big deal. So here goes.
Yesterday, the House oversight committee held a bizarre hearing, entitled “Lines Crossed:...
4 tags
After seeing its success, how can Romney still...
One of the smartest calls Barack Obama made on the economy was saving Detroit auto manufacturers. With a million jobs on the line, the President refused to let the American auto industry disappear.
Given the auto industry’s renewed health — GM just posted its largest profit ever — it’s hard to argue Obama made the wrong choice. But Mitt Romney continues to say we should...
3 tags
More good economic news, pt. 312
We’re totally building a streak here, folks. A couple more months of continuing good news like this, and growing consumer confidence will turn into a virtuous circle that will propel the economy forward.
The number of Americans filing for new unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell to a near four-year low last week, suggesting the labor market recovery was quickening.
Other data on...
2 tags
What does the MNGOP have against renters?
There are a lot of groups who have been hurt by the policies passed by Republicans in the legislature. Most are just victims of the Republicans’ budget. A few, though, have been under active attack by the Republican majority. One of those groups is renters.
Renters took a big hit from last year’s cuts to the Renters’ Credit. Now, though, Republicans have decided that...
3 tags
Senate Republicans keep racking up ethics failures
Senate Republicans just can’t seem to get the hang of ethical behavior. Every week, it seems there’s a fresh revelation of wrongdoing from the body. Not only that, it all comes from the leadership.
In particular, the Senate’s hiring of Steve Sviggum has proven to be an ethical minefield. First, there’s the issue of Sviggum’s tenure as a University of Minnesota...
1 tag
Dayton to Legislature: Jobs!
In his State of the State address last night, the Governor asked the legislature to pass his jobs proposals, particularly the bonding bill. He said the voters will decide in November whose budget plan they support, and he urged legislators to put that battle side and work for jobs. Not surprisingly, he listed his proposed bonding bill first among the job bills that should be considered:
...
BRB
It’s been a crazy few days. Some of you may have noticed that posting has been a bit light lately, and I’m not going to have anything at all up today. I’ll be back at full strength tomorrow.
3 tags
House Republican leaders agree to payroll tax... →
House Republican leaders said Monday that they will support extending the federal payroll tax holiday through the end of the year without demanding spending cuts to pay for it, a concession aimed at averting another politically damaging showdown in Washington. [Washington Post]
Wow, this is fantastic news, as well as a sign that Republican obstructionism is finally starting to hurt them.
...
2 tags
ACLU: Find a case of voter fraud, and we'll give...
Okay, voter-suppression advocates, it’s time for you to offer some actual evidence. You say your anti-voting constitutional amendment is about stopping fraud, not preventing Minnesotans from voting? Well, if you can find a single case of voter impersonation, you can now make a cash reward!
During a news conference today, ACLU Executive Director Chuck Samuelson offered to pay $1,000 to...
1 tag
Minnetonkans: Vote for Joe!
Attention, readers in Minnetonka! Today is a special election for city council, and on the ballot is the blogosphere’s own Joe Bodell. You may recognize Joe as the co-founder of MN Progressive Project.
If you’ve read Joe’s stuff, you’ll know him as a smart, analytical guy who knows his stuff. He’s exactly the sort of person we all want to represent us.
Today’s...
2 tags
As the economy picks up, Republicans work to apply...
Terrible news, everyone: The economy is improving.
I suppose I should clarify that statement. For most of us, it’s very good news. It’s only terrible news if you’re a Republican who anticipated riding a continuing recession to victory in November. Now Republicans in Congress are working desperately to reverse what they see as a devastating trend.
Unfortunately for us, there are...
2 tags
David Senjem: Only the GOP is allowed to play...
Senate Majority Leader David Senjem thinks things are getting too tense in Saint Paul:
“It’s time to put the spears down,” said Senjem.
Err… Senator Senjem? Aren’t you the one who started the legislative session with an unprecedented attack on the minority party? Aren’t you the one who just led your party in rejecting one of the Governor’s nominees?...
1 tag
With the MNGOP in charge, we sure need a lot of...
It’s funny: Republicans have been in control of the legislature for a year now, and we seem to be hiring a lot of layers to clean up after their messes. First, the Senate had to retain outside counsel in the wake of their firing of Michael Brodkorb. Now, the University of Minnesota is consulting a lawyer about the GOP’s hiring of Regent Steve Sviggum:
Linda Cohen, chairwoman of the...
3 tags
Dayton vetoes MNGOP efforts to reduce consumer...
Earlier today, Mark Dayton vetoed a number of Republican bills that would have reduced consumer protections under the law. The GOP calls these “tort reform,” and claims they’re about reducing frivolous lawsuits. In reality, they provide new windfalls for corporations by taking away our rights to address their wrongdoings.
In one of his veto letters [PDF], Governor Dayton got to...
1 tag
Republicans don't think this woman deserves the...
“She’s never had a copy of her birth certificate,” said [Rev. Celester] Webb, who has been trying to get a copy for his mother for years. But she was born at home, in rural Mississippi. He’s been told that the courthouse in Grenada, Miss., burned down, possibly destroying her birth records.
For a woman who grew up poor and black in the pre-Civil Rights deep south, and who’s never missed an...
3 tags
Everybody hates the GOP legislature
Nobody — and I mean nobody — thinks the Republican-controlled legislature is doing a good job, according to a recent SurveyUSA poll.
Mark Dayton has a solid 50 percent approval rating. With 33 percent disapproving, that gives him an excellent +17 net favorability rating. The legislature, on the other hand, has a 17 percent approval rating, and 65 percent disapproval, for a whopping...
2 tags
Report: Wealthy Minnesotans funding effort to...
It’s apparently not enough that the richest 1 percent already have a massive, disproportionate share of the money and power in Minnesota. They’ve used their money to buy power, and used that power to accrue more money, in a vicious circle that has no end in sight. Now, they’re making their most brazen play yet — they actually want to stop the poor from voting.
A new report...
2 tags
Equal marriage comes to Washington - Minnesota...
After a decade in which dozens of states passed anti-marriage laws and constitutional amendments, the momentum has reversed. The number of states that accept equal marriage is growing, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the pace of acceptance accelerate in the years to come.
The latest state to allow equal marriage is Washington, where a bill just passed the legislature and is awaiting the...
1 tag
Some more good economic news
Over the last few months, it seems that all the economic indicators are improving. Here’s yet another encouraging one:
Job openings in the U.S. increased in December by the most in almost a year, showing employers are gaining confidence the economy will keep growing in 2012.
The number of positions waiting to be filled climbed by 258,000, the biggest gain since February 2011, to 3.38...
3 tags
Republicans may still derail the recovery
I’ve written a lot lately about how Congressional Republicans are rooting for the economic recovery to fail — in fact, it’s central to their electoral strategy. Despite their best efforts, though, the recovery appears to be gathering strength. That’s why they’re resorting to desperate tactics like demanding the Federal Reserve stop trying to improve the economy.
But...
2 tags
“Proposition 8 served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the...”
– U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a ruling holding California’s anti-marriage Proposition 8 unconstitutional.
2 tags
Republicans really hate Mitt Romney
Rick Santorum? Really?
It’s a sign of just how much the Republicans hate Mitt Romney that they’ll even vote for Rick Santorum over him. Santorum won all three of yesterday’s caucuses, prolonging the awesome spectacle that is the GOP primary.
I’ve never really thought of Santorum as anything more than a joke. This is a guy who couldn’t even maintain his Senate seat...
Attend your caucus tonight!
I know, the DFL caucuses this year don’t seem particularly exciting in many districts. We have a choice between Barack Obama and Uncommitted in the presidential straw poll, and a sitting Senator who will cruise to re-election. Even if you’re in a district without a contested Congressional or legislative endorsement, though, the caucuses are a worthwhile use of an evening.
Attending...
1 tag
Small business owners overwhelmingly support...
Republicans can never come right out and admit that their policies are all about heaping money on the richest 1 percent. That would obviously be political suicide. Instead, they rely on phony language. For example, they’re not the super-rich, they’re “job creators.” Similarly, Republicans falsely claim that taxes on the rich are actually targeting “small...
2 tags
GOP criticizes Federal Reserve for focusing on the...
The Republicans are getting desperate for some change in the economy — by which I mean they really need it to start failing again. They spent over a year trying to hold the economy back, but they failed. Now they’re going to ever-more ridiculous lengths to try to salvage the 2012 election, even if it means harming out-of-work Americans.
For example, did you ever think you would see a...